São Tomé and Príncipe commits to creating a marine protected area network

The island nation of São Tomé and Príncipe has taken a significant step in marine conservation, announcing that it will establish eight marine protected areas in its coastal waters. The declaration is the country’s first formal commitment to marine protection.

The law designating the MPAs has been approved by the Council of Ministers and is expected to be published in September, João Pessoa, the government’s director of fisheries and aquaculture, told Mongabay.

“[The designation of the MPAs] is not only about protecting biodiversity. It is also about ensuring food security, preserving our traditional fishing culture, and strengthening resilience to climate change,” Pessoa said.

Pedro Ramos, project officer at U.K.-based nature conservation NGO Fauna & Flora, told Mongabay by email that for the first time, there will be laws that prohibit or restrict certain fishing activities in specific locations. Local fishers will face such restrictions for the first time.

Fishing is predominantly artisanal in the country, with fishers using small boats and nonselective gear. They land whatever they can net, regardless of species or size.

“This lack of selectivity, combined with the proximity to sensitive coastal zones, has had serious consequences for critical habitats such as nurseries and breeding grounds,” Ramos said.

São Tomé and Príncipe comprises two islands in the Gulf of Guinea located 200 kilometers (about 120 miles) off the coast of the Central African nation of Gabon. A large part of the islands’ population of 220,000 people rely directly or indirectly on the sea for their livelihood. More than half of their protein intake comes from fish, and with no industrial fishing vessels, the exclusively artisanal fisheries sector is one of the most important sources of livelihood for families after cacao.

Once implemented, the approximately 93 square kilometers (36 square miles) of protected areas — six around São Tomé and two off Príncipe — are expected to have a significant impact on the marine environment around the islands, which are considered particularly at risk from climate change. Coastal erosion and increased flooding are just some of the challenges São Tomé and Príncipe is facing, while the marine ecosystem’s productivity is declining due to the acidification and warming of the ocean.

“The establishment of the national network of marine protected areas in São Tomé and Príncipe will transform the landscape of the small-scale fishing industry in this country,” Ramos said.

Fauna & Flora is one of several international and national conservation and development NGOs working alongside the government of São Tomé and Príncipe and local communities to determine the locations and define the nature of the MPAs.

The marine ecosystems around the archipelago of São Tomé and Príncipe have been under pressure. A 2024 report from the Food and Agriculture Organization about the country’s pelagic value chain noted that pelagic fish stocks have declined, and other marine wildlife, including turtles, rays and sharks, are reported to be disappearing.

“It’s very important because we live from our fish,” Olga de Sousa, a fisherwoman, told Mongabay. She said fishers face multiple challenges. They’re finding less fish and have to sail farther out to sea to catch anything, translating into higher fuel costs, according to de Sousa.

“A marine protected area will increase the fish, make fishermen spend less fuel, and the fishermen will have more fish to fish close to the coast,” she said.

While a major objective is to allow depleted fish stocks to recover, protecting biodiversity and ecosystems is just as important. According to Claricela Andrade, project manager at Fundação Príncipe, another NGO involved in the seven-year effort to establish the MPAs, “the areas were selected based on scientific, environmental and ecological relevance, with the aim of balancing conservation and sustainable use.”

The eight new MPAs will include restricted zones where fishing and the collection of living resources — plants, animals, microorganisms — and non-living resources, such as hydrocarbon or minerals, will be prohibited. They will also have “sustainable use” zones, open only to artisanal fishers using authorized gear.

“For marine life, the MPAs will offer safe places to feed, breed and recover, from tuna and groupers to turtles and dolphins,” said Pessoa, adding he expects the benefits will ultimately extend beyond the protected zones and help nearby fishing grounds.

The protected areas are designed to provide protection to a variety of marine habitats, including rocky reefs, sandy bottoms, and the island’s largest mangrove forest in Malanza, on the island of São Tomé. It also includes important turtle nesting beaches.

After the decree is passed, much will depend on implementation and enforcement, said Fauna & Flora’s Ramos. With the government’s long-term commitment to the MPA designation — these MPAs goes back to 2018 — he said feels optimistic: “Implementation may be challenging, but with the government and communities aligned, it remains firmly within reach.”

Pessoa added: “This is a priority for us, and we are working to ensure the legal framework is in place as soon as possible.”

Banner image: Fishers with their canoes in São Tomé. Image by Steve Evans via Flickr (CC BY-NC 2.0).

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Malavikavyawahare Editor

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